Photo By 2nd Lt. Daniel White | A U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. assigned to the 31st Air Task Force instructs Airmen on...... read more read more
Subscribe
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- The 31st Air Task Force (31 ATF), the Air Force's newest Unit of Action, carried out its first field training exercise at Fort Bliss, Texas, Dec. 2-16, 2025.
The exercise united 31 ATF staff and 31st Combat Air Base Squadron (31 CABS) personnel for the first time for a 200-level training event. Over 240 Airmen from across two MAJCOMs and five wings exercised core protection and sustainment tasks, including installation defense, command and control, and force accountability.
"The 31st Air Task Force is a new, agile combat Unit of Action designed to deploy as a cohesive team for contingency operations, testing new force generation concepts for future air expeditionary wings," said U.S. Air Force Col. Brad Dvorak, 31 ATF commander. "We are built to enable unity of command early in the Force Generation cycle while bringing together Airmen across Air Force Special Operations Command and Air Combat Command who will train together, certify together, and deploy together."
Prior to the exercise, 31 ATF built an instruction plan and sourced subject matter experts to deliver 100/200-level Mission Ready Airman training across 60 AFSCs to kickstart its path to peak readiness via integrated preparation, certification, and validation.
This crawl-walk-run approach provided the first opportunity for Airmen from four installations to meet and train together outside their core competencies. During the FTX, 31 CABS Airmen broke into cross-functional teams aligning across protection, sustainment, and airfield operation mission sets, refining agile combat employment tactics, techniques, and procedures in a realistic threat environment.
The exercise utilized capability enhancement teams (CETs) from two squadrons, enabling in-house training and evaluation of nearly 30 mission essential objectives. The 822d Base Defense Squadron (822 BDS) trained and evaluated small unit tactics, familiarized Airmen with multiple up-armored platforms, increased confidence and proficiency in a primary weapon system, and oversaw employment of those weapon systems at full distance ranges. The 51st Combat Communication Squadron led tactical radio academics, providing the "communicate" piece of shoot-move-communicate training, and delivered layered connectivity capabilities throughout the exercise. This marked the first time a Unit of Action incorporated aligned CETs so early in the training phase.
"We delivered academics and knowledge of basic soldiering skills to ATF and CABS personnel," said an 822 BDS instructor assigned to 31 ATF. "We familiarized with cold weather gear, defensive fighting positions, land navigation, counter-small unmanned aerial system and other capabilities that can be utilized at a forward operating base or contingency location—including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance and battle damage assessment."
Along with providing subject matter expertise and instruction in integrated base defense strategy, capability enhancement teams from 822 BDS served as a professional opposing force during the culminating 24-hour expeditionary field scenario employing agile combat support. This capstone event evaluated the capability of Mission Ready Airmen to operate tactically from fire team up to squadron level while protecting and sustaining a forward airbase and contingency location.
"This approach to training builds trust, sharpens communication, and ensures the 31 ATF and 31 CABS can execute any Air Force mission from day one of deployment," said Dvorak.
The 31st Air Task Force is an O-6 wing headquarters consisting of a command and control element, supporting a combat air base squadron with up to 2,500 Airmen capable of providing base operating support and supporting up to three mission generation force elements required to execute agile combat employment at any deployed location.
| Date Taken: | 01.09.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 01.09.2026 14:21 |
| Story ID: | 555904 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 329 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 31st Air Task Force conducts first field training exercise, by 2nd Lt. Daniel White, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
